


even my phone misses your call (by the way)

by lanne_e



Category: The King: Eternal Monarch
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24014512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanne_e/pseuds/lanne_e
Summary: Strangers to something more to strangers again.
Relationships: Jo Yeong/Koo Seo Ryeong, Jo Yeong/Koo Seo-ryeong
Comments: 32
Kudos: 58





	1. all that history (all that's history)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the office, she walks straight to her private balcony after taking out a pack of cigarettes she secretly keeps in the room. Seo Ryeong is not a regular smoker, not silly enough to sustain an addictive habit that can damage her impeccable skin. But here she is, stressed out of her mind, holding the lighter so very close she can almost feel the nicotine coming in like waves. Then out of nowhere, she thinks of him.

It’s only 9:30 and the Prime Minister is already on the verge to implode.

If she has to endure another unnecessarily stupid conversation with the men existed within 10m of her seat, she might truly lose it. So she shuts them up, and walks towards the door. She can hear it vividly in the air, through the look in their eyes, “ _What a cocky brat, leaving again in the middle of an important meeting, with so many elite people twice her age”_. As if she actually cares, as if she has the time to ponder over whatever nasty things they think of her.

She gave up doing that years ago. Koo Seo Ryeong didn’t crawl her way out of a fish market and become the youngest female Prime Minister of Corea to put up with some 60 year old men’s bullshit. So of course she leaves, whispering death threats to Secretary Kim for not doing his job properly and forcing her to attend another useless meeting that can just be a goddamn report on her table.

Back to the office, she walks straight to her private balcony after taking out a pack of cigarettes she secretly keeps in the room. Seo Ryeong isn't a regular smoker, not silly enough to sustain an addictive habit that can damage her impeccable skin. But here she is, stressed out of her mind, holding the lighter so very close she can almost feel the nicotine coming in like waves. Then out of nowhere, she thinks of him.

She thinks of 20 year old Jo Yeong, to be exact. Standing in front of her under the heavy July rain while carefully taking the cigarette out of her soft lips. Jo Yeong with his navy umbrella. Always managed to find her at her worst, always be there next to her without saying anything because words were usually wasted when you talked to Koo Seo Ryeong.

God, he really ruins cigarettes for her. She throws the whole pack into the trash bin along with the one on her lips.

She hates him so much, it almost makes her want to see him just to say that to his face.

But they don't do things like that anymore.

* * *

When Yeong passed the entrance exam of Corea National University, Seo Ryeong was books deep into her Master degree in Political Science and International Relations. He instantly became popular in the campus for being the King’s closest friend, with rumors about him floating around every lecture that she attended. She studied with Lee Gon for years and never met him or his friends outside, but whenever they talked he always mentioned Yeong’s name and stories about what they did together in the palace.

She listened tentatively to everything he said not because she had a huge crush on him and wanted to be his Queen, as every jealous fangirl in the campus always thought of her, but because she needed to know every deep dark secret of the King of Corea. She knew it would tremendously help her career as a politician in the future. That was the reason why she followed him around like an innocent puppy, the pretty girl with a lovely figure who came from the dirty market and scored the highest grade on the insanely difficult entrance exam. She beat out Gon fair and square, sometimes late at night she even dreamed about taking the throne of his to herself. If people knew about her thoughts, they would laugh at her and spit on her face but frankly, she thought if she wanted it enough, she could be the Queen of Corea. With or without Gon by her side.

When Gon introduced Yeong to her for the first time, she couldn't read his face at all. She was used to be so good at knowing people after the first meeting, but Yeong stirred her curiosity and she felt strangely intrigued by him. Maybe it was because he didn't talk much, he had an incredibly calm expression and most of the times he only looked at Gon. He acted like a well-trained bodyguard around the King, which she found quite hilarious. Gon already had an army walking around him every step, and with Yeong by his side it felt even impossible to her how she could still hang out with them so casually. She and Gon both knew they worked perfectly together as a team. Even when they had zero interest in each other romantically, she earned her place to be by his side and let’s be honest, he would never pass any group project without her insights and intelligence. It took Yeong a while to understand this, he was always careful and silent when she was around. She could feel him trying to crack her facade, as if he was able to see through her 10 year plan of becoming the Prime Minister of Corea.

He didn't trust her, and it annoyed her how she cared about that more than she thought.

* * *

It started out with Seo Ryeong simply wanting to earn Yeong’s approval. She tried to ask him personal questions, which he only gave out vague answers that didn’t satisfy her at all. They even went together to a few field trips exclusively for the university’s top students, and girls followed him around all day hopelessly asking for his phone number. Sometimes he intentionally tried to find Seo Ryeong and asked her to go out for a walk in order to escape their horny fellow students. Everybody seemed to be intimidated whenever they saw her. She made fun of him every single time, “ _How desperate you are to come to me for help”_. Gon never went with them on those trips due to security reasons, obviously. It surprised her how much she enjoyed having Yeong all for herself. He bought her food after their walk and one time somehow they ended up drinking beer together in Gyeongju. He told her about his family, mostly to subdue the awkwardness between them, and even asked her about things she never cared to share with anyone. They were both not a fan of getting deep and personal, their stories ended quickly and strangely left her longing for more. She didn't know how to talk to him without sounding premeditated. Only with him did she feel like maybe she wasn't good enough. Maybe she needed to live life differently, to drop the act and let him see all of her calculations.

That was when she unknowingly started flirting with him a bit. She tried that with Gon years ago until they both realized the true intention of being in each other’s life. Then she did it with Yeong because there seemed to be no other way to get closer to him, she was kind of impatient and definitely not herself. She started drinking a lot around that time because of all the essays she had to write, relationships with important people she had to maintain while staying alert around Yeong and waiting for him to be under her control.

A week before she submitted her final thesis, she did the most stupidly cliche thing ever, and that was drunk calling Jo Yeong while she was out drinking alone. She was fed up with reading and writing and living alone in the city. Most nights she couldn't sleep peacefully and had no idea when the last time she ate a proper meal. So she drove to the closest bar she could find and drank half a bottle of expensive whiskey which would cost a lot of the money that she made working part time. She counted in her head how many days were left before she could stop with the pretentious studying and actually start working on her long overdue plans. Five glasses led to nine, then some guys came over offering to buy her drinks. She remembered being sober enough to drop mean words and scare most of them away. One guy stuck around for so long and was shamelessly insistent about bringing her home, she had to pull the _boyfriend-coming-here-very-soon_ card. She knew she was completely intoxicated when she pressed his name on her phone. There was no way she would come out of the bar safely if she didn’t call someone she could trust.

 _“Noona, it’s 2 AM. What’s going on?”_ , he picked up after a few seconds and said boringly. Like he was about to fall asleep but she appeared out of nowhere and prevented that from happening.

She chuckled, regretting whatever she was doing in the back of her mind, _“I don’t know, why don’t you come here and find out?”_

 _“And where are you exactly?”,_ he sighed.

She told him the address, and imagined him wondering why he even answered her call. She was so drunk, the thought of him not coming at all actually scared her. The guy next to Seo Ryeong kept on persuading her to go with him, to leave her fictitious boyfriend behind and stop acting hard to get. She laughed in disgust without batting an eye and continued drinking. The funny thing was none of the guys dared to touch her for too long, she guessed she had that kind of power. Time passed slowly and she was convinced Yeong didn’t care enough to drive all the way here from the palace to deal with someone he never really trusted. So when he called out her name from behind, she almost fell from the stool where she was sitting. Then everything suddenly happened too quick, too fast.

Yeong held her upright, one hand caressing her face, the other tugging her messy hair behind her ears. He asked for the bill and paid for it. She leaned her head on his chest during the whole card transaction, when he had to sign the bill his arms surrounded her. He was wearing a black linen shirt and dark jeans. _Did he always smell this good?_ She buried her face in his neck absentmindedly and inhaled his scent. She could feel Yeong stopped abruptly in the middle of asking the bartender about something related to her drunken state. He wanted to know if she was alone the whole time, and she kind of imagined him not wanting any guy near her. Then he carried her out the front door, the early summer heat was suffocating and she told him she wanted to lie down somewhere. He quickly put her on the passenger seat of his car and she tugged on his shirt to pull him closer while he was trying to secure the seatbelt.

Seo Ryeong woke up in the morning with the worst headache ever. Her room smelled faintly of vomit. She panicked for exactly 10 seconds while everything from the night before flashing through her mind. She didn’t remember anything at all after entering Yeong’s car. She still wore the same clothes from last night, covered by her warm blanket. Her room seemed pretty clean, maybe he helped her to the bathroom before she made a mess of herself... For the first time in her life, she wanted to end her existence right there. While trying to grab the phone she saw a bottle of hangover cure on her bedside table. There was a text from him, sent 2 hours ago, _“Drink it, cook some soup, text me when you’re awake.”_

Could a heart ever get swollen? Because it felt like hers kind of did. She prayed to all the Gods above she didn't say anything stupid to him during the drive home.


	2. it's been too long (since i realized you're real)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before he realized that he was actually doing what he was doing, Yeong was already in his car driving slightly above the speed limit.

Before he realized that he was actually doing what he was doing, Yeong was already in his car driving slightly above the speed limit. It took him approximately 2 minutes to get dressed but 20 to get pass the palace’s security checkpoint. The guards were all puzzled to see him driving through the gate when it was almost 3 AM. One way or another that would eventually end up in a report and he would never see the end of Gon’s interrogation.

On the way to the bar, he started questioning his recent choices in life. What did he do to let Koo Seo Ryeong think that she could call him whenever she wanted, not to mention way too late at night, and somehow he would magically drop everything and run straight to her? It was the final exam week, he drank about 6 cans of Red Bull that night and had nothing but books and essays and group projects spreading on his table. But after hearing her broken tone on the phone and men’s voices in the background, he got up to get dressed and hurriedly grabbed his keys. As bizarre as it sounded, it turned out he would run to her, wherever the hell she could be, without any question.

The air felt thick and his heart beat rapidly. Through the glass door, he saw her sitting alone, white shirt and faded skinny jeans, head propping on her hand, whiskey bottle almost empty. When he came closer and tilted her face to look at her eyes, they were glassy like she was about to cry and for a second he hated himself for not driving faster.

 _“Ohh... so you really came!”_ , she sounded surprised and louder than normal.

 _“Do I have any other choice, noona?”_ , he had to hold her shoulders in place and her body felt like liquid ready to splash on the floor.

With all the men around staring at them, he wanted nothing more than to get her out of this place. What was on her mind when she decided to come here alone? He was angry at her for the very first time since they met. He was also extremely tired from lack of sleep. He wondered had he treated her better instead of acting distant, would she ever think about calling him for late night drinks and getting drunk with only him around?

When her face was on the nape of his neck and her nose touching his bare skin, he wanted to tell her to stop making things harder than they already were. But she was blind drunk and fragile in his arms. He would stand there like that forever if she asked him to.

The first sigh of relief came when he finally managed to put her safely in his car. It didn't help how needy she was, holding onto him like a child and touching his hair constantly. How could he continue being angry at her when she was this adorable? There was a small smile on his face when he started the engine. She would be the death of him, and he knew it.

He thought Seo Ryeong already fell asleep when suddenly she started saying, _“It’s tiring, isn’t it? It’s tiring being my friends, right? We are friends, right?”_

Yeong looked at her for a second and kind of contemplated her questions. She would probably never recall this conversation anyway, _“Of course we are. And yeah, it’s quite tiring.”_

It was tiring to see someone almost every day and have to witness that person caring about someone else.

 _“I knew it. You hate me sticking to you and Gon like glue.”_ , she pouted.

 _“I never hate you noona. We’re almost there.”_ , he signed again.

He found the key to her apartment inside her bag. Months ago she jokingly asked them to come by her place to study. Gon actually considered the invitation, but Head Court Lady Noh never let them wander to this side of the city. Seo Ryeong’s place was small but cosy. She had things that if he saw them somewhere else, he would buy them for her because they were totally her style. The first thing she did was running to the bathroom and he had to hold her long hair while she dumped whatever she could from her stomach. Afterwards he poured her a warm glass of water, helped her to bed and put pillows behind so she could sleep on her side.

He watched her laying under the blanket peacefully for a few minutes.

 _“Thank you, Yeong-ah... but don’t stay.”_ , she said, eyes still closing.

He looked at her small face with rosy cheeks and wished they had the kind of relationships that allowed him to kiss her forehead.

 _“It’s late.”_ , she said again like she was dreaming.

_“Okay. Sleep well, noona.”_

He ran to the CU next door to buy a bottle of hangover cure and put it on her table before he left. Sitting inside his car, he felt drained. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to drive in his current state. Then he remembered he had to do a presentation in 5 hours.

But first, he needed to go back and get rid of her sweet scent on his skin.

* * *

It was pass 9 PM on a day in early July when Yeong got a call from Gon asking him to go to the funeral of Seo Ryeong’s father on his behalf.

The heat of the summer even at night made it unbearable to wear the suit. He walked inside the funeral home with a heavy heart and it saddened him to see her looking gaunt and helpless. Her mother was on the floor bawling her eyes out while Seo Ryeong stood by bowing to the guests with no emotion in her eyes. Her father was there, healthy and proud, at her graduation 3 weeks ago and yesterday he was hit by a car on the way to work.

Yeong texted her everyday after the funeral, mostly to tell her random things that he did recently. Some days she replied, other times she didn't. When the month coming to an end he finally called her after not receiving any text for days. She didn't answer his call. He tried again twice before deciding to send her a text.

**_ i’m on my way to your place**

**are you there?**

**_ _why do you want to come to my place?_**

**_ so you only text now, huh?**

**_ _i’m at the playground_**

**_ the one next to the East campus?**

**okay stay there**

There were dark clouds floating angrily in the sky. When he arrived and saw Seo Ryeong standing near the green elephant slide, the rain started to pour down heavily. He brought with him his umbrella and sprinted across the playground to where she was. Droplets of water ran through her hair and she had a cigarette dangling on her lips. While holding out the umbrella, his other hand touched her right wrist softly. Then it traced along until he reached her shoulder. He could feel her body trembling, and it broke his heart a bit. By the time his hand caught her cigarette and took it away, she bursted out into tears. He knew the last thing she wanted to hear at that moment was him asking whether she was alright. So he just stood there, buried his hand into her wet hair, holding her while the rain poured down around their tiny umbrella.

 _“I thought... I thought moving out to live alone... would help me focus better on my study, you know? But I could just stay with my parents... I didn’t spend much time with dad... for years... what’s wrong with me?”_ , she sobbed into his chest and tried to talk over the sound of the rain.

 _“I’m sorry, noona... I’m sorry.”_ , he wanted to say _Everything will be alright_ , but he didn't know that. He couldn't promise her something he wasn't sure of himself.

The summer rain didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. He let her cry it all out until she was quiet. Then he held her hand tight as they walked towards his car.

 _“I’m moving back to live with my mom next week.”_ , she said after they sat in complete silence for awhile.

 _“That’s good. Let me know if you need any help with the moving.”_ , he offered.

She avoided his eyes, looking at the falling rain through the window, _“Do you want to stay over at my place tonight?”_

He thought he heard it wrong, so he stared at her until she looked back at him. It was strange to see this side of her, tired and full of pain. So he nodded, because it must be established between them by then that he would never say no to her.

The drive felt long for some reason. They stood awkwardly next to each other in the elevator. Water dripped from his umbrella to the floor. His back stuck to the door after she let him in. All of the sudden he didn't know how to move, what to say, as if his hands and mouth decided to leave him on his own to deal with this situation. When she said they should take a bath together, he almost asked her if this was some kind of parallel universes. He was supposed to be in a daze by now but because it was Koo Seo Ryeong, who was always straightforward to a fault, it didn't affect him as much as he thought it should.

There were some oversized workout clothes she thought would fit him, so she disappeared to her bedroom to find them. Still trying to process what was about to happen, Yeong made an effort to move his feet and started preparing the bath. He let her get in first, and she followed his eyes when he descended his naked body into the warm water across from her. There seemed to be a silent competition where they tried to see who would blush and get embarrassed about this whole thing first. But Seo Ryeong remained calm, as if all she cared about was getting a decent wash-up and he just happened to share the same bath with her to save water. He didn't blush. He rested his elbows comfortably on the tub and looked at her porcelain skin. There wasn't much space to prevent their legs from touching, and she knew it. She knew exactly what she was doing to him, with those sad eyes and cracked lips. Hair tangled and chest heaving. The things he felt for her these past two years overflowed from deep inside and threatened to eat him up. He hoped she knew it too.

When he broke out of his territory to reach her lips, she didn't protest. He melted into the kiss and finally confronted the possibility that maybe she wasn't even real. She kissed him back fervently and he was stunned by the power that she had over him.

She let him carry her to bed. Her body soft under his touch. His wet hair clutched around her fingers. Their uneven breathing mixed with the sticky air in the room. If loving was this hard, he might not see another day. He might not make it without her for rest of his insignificant existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just watched ep7 and finally accepted the fact that KES would never let this couple be canon. i think i'll be fine and continue writing this fic to fulfill my fantasy lol. shipping a doomed ship is so hard. thank you all so much for your kind words for the first chapter. maybe i'll post something new (with both of their POVs?) next week. stay safe everyone and please tell me what you think!


	3. i’ll take the desert (you take the coast)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Seo Ryeong was selected to join the team flying to Washington, DC to work at Embassy of the Kingdom of Corea, Yeong was the first person she called. Because he was always the first one to know everything happening in her life, and also she wanted to be mean and break his heart.

When Seo Ryeong was selected to join the team flying to Washington, DC to work at Embassy of the Kingdom of Corea, Yeong was the first person she called. Because he was always the first one to know everything happening in her life, and also she wanted to be mean and break his heart.

 _“I’m flying to DC next month”_ , she dropped the bomb right after he picked up.

 _“...Cool. For how long?”_ , he asked calmly.

 _“Probably 2 years”_ , she said matter of fact.

He paused, maybe just 5 seconds, maybe longer, _“Okay.”_

_“Okay!?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“I kind of expected a much more dramatic response.”_

_“Well if it makes you feel better, I’m about to devour a whole pack of cigarettes.”_

_“You tell me not to smoke, please be a good role model.”_

_“You’re leaving for 2 years noona, do you want to celebrate this wonderful news then?”_

_“Yes, please. Tonight, my place? Mom is away visiting her friend this weekend.”_

Yeong sneaked out of the palace that night and brought her some expensive gogi. They were already on the second bottle of soju when he started grilling the juicy pork belly. She looked at the side of his handsome face and tried to carve into her mind the image of him focusing while taking care of her. She imagined herself living far away and missing this too much. Imagining not being able to call and wait for him to rush to her place whenever she had another stupid nightmare.

 _“I always think of you as someone who’ll marry an elegant woman that can’t get enough of your physical assets and talented skills”_ , she said out of nowhere.

 _“Umm... sure, noona”_ , he gave out a small laugh.

_“I’m already jealous of her.”_

_“Why don’t you be her then?”_ , he said casually.

Now it was her turn to laugh, _“You know I’ll never get married, especially not to you.”_

_“And why is that?”_

_“You’ll resent me. I’m not cruel enough to let that happen.”_

_“Stop with this nonsense and eat, noona.”_

That night when they were making love, she thought of him having a beautiful wife at home and only came to her as a secret affair. It strangely turned her on and at the same time took the air out of her lungs. Suddenly she couldn't breathe properly and the thought of Yeong being with someone else put her in a mini panic attack. He was closing his eyes, deep in ecstasy underneath her and she tried to pant louder so he wouldn't notice her strange mood. She brought his lips closer, sucked hard on his tongue and it left a bittersweet aftertaste.

 _“I love you”_ , he whispered breathlessly in her ear, _“It’ll fucking ruin me when you’re gone.”_

She scratched his neck and came right there with such a force that undid every part of her being. They lied within her sheet, entwined and sweaty, trying to catch their breath. His hands traced her back and it trembled under his touch.

She never said it back to him, those unfamiliar three words. They could have a meal together sometimes and leave marks on each other’s skin when the sun came down, but she was never built to love anyone. He should know better than that.

* * *

Gon offered to let Seo Ryeong use his Ashton Martin to get to the airport, and by that he meant allowing Yeong to drive his bespoke vehicle to bid farewell to their mutual friend. The king was annoyed at the fact that his best friend spent every waking moment of the last few days trying to come up with new excuses to visit Seo Ryeong’s home and help her pack the 50 something items she had in her tiny bedroom.

When they arrived at the airport and he was parking Gon’s car, Seo Ryeong said she wanted to have a quick smoke before checking in. Yeong was against the idea but they went to the smoking area anyway. He needed whatever chance he could get to be with her longer. It tugged on his heartstrings when he lighted her cigarette, and it finally felt tragic when he had his own first drag. So that was how their story went. With her leaving for another time zone and him loving her more than he could ever handle.

 _“Do you really have to go?”_ , he asked pointlessly.

 _“It’s too late to ask this right now”,_ she replied.

_“Please answer my calls. Or just reply to my messages twice a week.”_

_“I’ll try my very best.”_

_“You know you’re good at disappearing”_ , he snuffed out his cigarette.

She laughed, _“And ain’t that the truth.”_

_“I’ll miss you. Think of me and take care of yourself.”_

_“Guess what, I’m missing you already.”_

They pretended there was no one around and kissed each other while surrounded by her smoke. His fingers tried to memorize the feel of her silky hair. He bit her lower lip softly and grazed the side of her neck. How could one forget the scent of a person’s skin? It was incredibly intimate and he couldn't care less. They were wrapped in their own private space before she said it was time to go. She hated saying goodbye so she told him to leave first. He held onto her hands and thought how silly it would look if he shed a tear right now.

 _“I’ll call you first thing when I arrive”_ , she gave him a quick hug that truly felt final.

He kissed her cheek one last time and there she went, towards her group of colleagues and away from his life. He stood still, dumbfounded, and looked ahead until her slim figure left his sight.

She did call after she landed 17 hours later. While settling into her new place and the fancy new job at the Embassy, she also answered his calls and replied to his texts sometimes. They never discussed for how long she had to keep that up. So when she stopped contacting him several months later, he told himself to live with it and move on. The flight booking app on his phone was deleted soon after. He might end up going insane while staring it.

* * *

Immediately after being given a week-long break, Seo Ryeong booked a plane ticket to San Francisco. She always wanted to stand at the top of Twin Peaks and look down at the city by the Bay. The air was freezing cold when she arrived but the beautiful sunset made the walk totally worthwhile. It was rewarding to enjoy the spectacular view and temporarily forget about her constant workload. Later that evening, she called an Uber and headed to the Ferry Building Marketplace to try Humphry Slocombe ice-cream. Her coworker Helen in DC recommended the place and it was indeed the best ice-cream she had ever tasted. She wished for more days like this, going out and appreciating the little things, not just crawling to work and coming back to her cranky bed exhausted and homesick.

She realized it was Yeong’s birthday when she saw a couple smoking outside of The Last Bookstore in LA. She was too invested in the large selection of books until it was already past dinner time. Then the thought of him made everything around seemed irrelevant. Would it be shameless of her to stop replying to his messages months ago and now call him like all was forgiven? She ordered a cup of hot chocolate with almond milk at a nearby cafe. It was around 1 PM in Corea when she decided to call him anyway.

 _“Hello”_ , he picked up after the second ring.

 _“Happy birthday, Yeong-ah. Don’t yell at me, noona is very sorry”_ , she said teasingly to make herself feel less ashamed.

_“Why did you go MIA for that long?”_

_“You’re seriously not gonna thank me for wishing you happy birthday?”_

_“Noona, answer the question.”_

_“Well turned out this job wasn't a piece of cake. I was on the edge all the time trying to keep up with my coworkers, to the point where I forgot to charge my phone most days. Keeping track of how my Corean friends are doing isn’t on the schedule. I’m really sorry. I think I even forgot to reply to Gon’s only message since I came to this country.”_

_“He complained about that for 3 days straight, you can’t just ignore a message from the King of Corea asking about the weather in DC. Apparently he doesn’t know where the weather app is on his phone.”_

She laughed, _“Yeong-ah.”_

_“Don’t start talking in that voice. I’m still mad at you.”_

_“And I miss you too. I’m on a break and visiting LA. It’d be lovely to have you and Gon here.”_

_“Well FYI, I booked and canceled 3 plane tickets since you left.”_

_“What, why!?”_

_“Turned out my education is more important to me than visiting a certain someone who abandoned me and devoted her entire being to our beloved country.”_

_“It does sound pretty sad when you put it like that. Did I mention that I’m very sorry?”_

_“It’s cool. I’m glad you’e doing great, traveling and all that.”_

_“I’m glad you still care to pick up my call. It’d be quite embarrassing for me to lose you as a friend.”_

_“Yeah, it’ll hurt your campaign very badly, not being on good terms with the king’s best friend.”_

_“I really couldn’t phrase it better”_ , her heart skipped a beat at the sound of him cracking up.

_“Noona, I’m thinking about bailing on a trip out of the city with the smartest kids at our uni. They’ll definitely stop helping me with my current projects. I might have to retake some classes. But I love hearing your voice like this, what should I do?”_

_“Well then I’m on date with a charming American guy and he’s looking at me annoyingly right now because I’m on the phone for way too long. Could you please let me politely hang up?”_

_“Are you really!? On a date with an American right now?”_ , his voice turned serious and she had to cover her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

_“You know me, I can’t be alone for too long.”_

_“...I’m going to hang up now. We need to talk more about this later. Bye, noona.”_

_“Bye, take care”_ , listening to his tone almost made her feel bad about teasing him.

_“And thanks... for the birthday wish.”_

_“Happy birthday!”_ , she beamed before hanging up.

Her cup already cooled down. The cafe was half empty. It was getting darker outside. She looked at her phone and wondered why it felt like she was trying not to cry. Maybe she should call him more often, so her heart could feel more at ease. Or maybe she should accept the fact that she led a different life now and couldn't afford the luxury of pining after someone. Having a break made her soft for things she hadn't dwelled upon for awhile. Reality was calling, it was time to get back to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> officially writing an AU where PM Koo is not a devilish witch who abandoned our precious Yeong on the road after he was shot lol. it will go all tragic from here. thank you for your kind words and for still reading this badly written fic of mine. take care, always!


	4. i won't convince you (to walk my way)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since the first time they met, Seo Ryeong had a habit of letting them know whenever she planned on doing something, and then went on her own to do it.

Since the first time they met, Seo Ryeong had a habit of letting them know whenever she planned on doing something, and then went on her own to do it. She didn't particularly tell them to ask for help, she just wanted to announce things before embarking on her little adventures. It was as if she needed to hear it said out loud to get the motivation to do what she wanted. There were times when Yeong looked at her and was in awe of how she could be that strong and independent. All of her moments of weakness were brief, like she was afraid if she let herself stuck in a black hole she would lose everything she worked hard for. He admired her for that. Even though it pained him not being able to help her more, he respected the choices and watched her reach her goals every single time.

The down side of this was sometimes she was so sure of her decision, she just did it right away without caring about how it might affect other people around her. He wondered if it was the case when news broke that Koo Seo Ryeong, a public-servant-turned-announcer, was dating the second son of the famous KU family. Pictures of her and Chairman Choe were on the first page of every newspaper in the kingdom. Their names were the top trending keywords for 5 days straight. Unless he decided to move into a cave, there was no way Yeong could avoid being bombarded about the dating scandal.

He was in the middle of the final stage preparing to join the new security team of the King. The training was incredibly tough and time consuming, it made you forget about having a family or hobbies or any basic emotional need. He used this as an excuse to not touch his phone for weeks, only picking it up to answer his mom’s calls occasionally. The other trainees spoke between themselves about how he was turning mad, waking up everyday at 4 AM to run around the camp, eating meals alone and not leaving the firearm training until late in the evening. Gon started showing concern for his friend.

 _“I just read the report. They used words I don’t usually associate you with them. How about slowing down a bit?”,_ Gon left a voice message one day because Yeong didn't have his phone with him when the King called.

_“i’m alright_

_please worry about something else_

_i just need to sort things out in my head”_ , he texted back.

When he wasn't busy throwing other trainees around during combat practice or assembling different types of handguns, Yeong tried to pinpoint the exact moment when it all went wrong between him and Seo Ryeong. After she came back from DC, they rarely hang out with each other just the two of them. She was glowing, much more confident, hair longer and started dressing more sophisticated. Gon was asked to tag along wherever they went so she could talk politics with him. They constantly found excuses to start a debate while Yeong sat in between, quite as always, listening to their opinions on climate change and free healthcare. Despite his expectations, she never invited him to her new apartment. Occasionally they went out for drinks and whenever he started asking carefully about her feelings, she pretended to be drunk and excused herself to leave first. It was unreasonable of him to ask for something more out of their relationship, he knew it. She was away for 2 years and came back a brand new person, eagerly wanting to be a public channel’s announcer. At the Embassy in DC, she became some kind of poster girl and everybody praised her for being intelligent and skillful with words. Opportunities lined up and took the old Seo Ryeong away. What left behind was Yeong grabbing for memories of the long gone past, when they went to the same university and flirted shamelessly with each other. He hated to think it was all one-sided, his pride didn't allow him to feel that way. But he was smart enough to know her priority was always something else. She was born to do great things, you couldn't expect anything less from the hardworking Koo Seo Ryeong. He told himself this like a mantra, every single night before falling asleep.

Yeong wasn't surprised when she became the main news anchor, and he thought he was fine when she announced her wedding date with Chairman Choe. After watching the marriage announcement on the news, Gon called him 5 times and received no answer. He drove to Yeong’s private residence, let himself in and found his friend wasted on the bathroom floor. His Majesty couldn't recall the last time he witnessed Yeong crying. Both of their hearts were broken in different ways and they never talked about that night afterwards.

* * *

After a year of tasteless interactions and sleeping in different bedrooms, Seo Ryeong filed for divorce, as she thought she would eventually. It was a quick conclusion to a marriage she started out of paying back for many favors. Chairmain Choe gave her access to countless valuable intel that even the palace couldn't touch, and in return he could have her on his arms as an impeccable wife to every social event around the world, which then led her to meet even more important people. She truly believed she should become the Prime Minister of the Kingdom after she came back from DC. It was hard to resist going for that dream when her job allowed her to meet all the right people and see them falling for her charm hopelessly. Things that once used to be impossible, were now handed to her on a silver plate. She could feel the taste of power on every tip of her fingers, and she gracefully let it eat her up and swallow her whole. To finally be able to control almost every aspect of her life, she welcomed it and let it be her only anchor.

When Chairmain Choe spitted on her precious Givenchy pumps before the police arrived to arrest him for embezzlement, she looked at him straight in the eyes and said, _“Never forget what I did for you and your sunken career these past few years, you ungrateful piece of shit.”_ She hired other people to deal with damage control while she was busy meeting with lawyers to talk about what she got after the divorce. With her ex-husband’s arrest, there wasn't much left to divide between them. But she got her fair shares and left the houses to him because she couldn't care less about those obnoxious mansions. She invested most of her savings to prepare for the ultimate campaign, and the following years she worked her ass off to check all the boxes she set out for herself.

A few months before the election, Seo Ryeong was invited to visit the Embassy in London. She was close with the daughter of the ambassador, their family invited her to speak at a couple talks with Corean students living in the UK that would help her trending on social media. Everybody back home knew she would be the one to win it all in the end. The youngest female Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Corea, she could feel the title in the palm of her hand. This trip was the icing on the cake to secure her votes from the young demographic. She felt completely at ease with how things went recently. Pictures of her wearing a Christopher Kane floral dress from the Resort 2017 collection while beaming at the students were shared over 200,000 times within an hour. The guys loved her directness and insights at the talk and the girls couldn't get enough of her dewy makeup. Everybody wanted to get a piece of Koo Seo Ryeong and she played her part to keep them on her bandwagon.

The next morning, unable to sleep due to jet lag, she left her hotel at 6 AM to jog around Hyde Park. The crisp cold air felt like a whiplash that woke her up. She walked all the way past Serpentine Gallery and headed to Brompton Road to get a much needed dose of caffeine. After spotting a little cafe, she entered and ordered a double shots of espresso. Someone opened the door right when she turned around to find a seat and there by the entrance, in flesh and bone, was Jo Yeong. The King’s closest friend, Captain of the national security team, every young Corean woman’s first love. For a second, she regretted not drinking coffee first thing in the morning, because this was a bit too much for her to process after a long walk.

 _“I thought I was mistaken. But it was really you noona”_ , was the first thing she heard from him after almost 10 years not seeing each other.

 _“Jo Yeong! What are you doing here?”_ she stood in front of him and was taken back at how inappropriate it would be to hug him right now.

_“My hotel is near here. I saw you crossing the road and thought I was hallucinating.”_

It was ridiculous, how tall and manly he looked. His hair was slightly messy, cheeks red from the cold weather. He wore a baggy hoodie and grey jogging pants that showed off his long legs. How could a person still look this young in his 30s? She smiled at the unexpected coincidence, as if they just traveled back in time and things were so much easier for both of them.

 _“Did you have breakfast? I’ll get you something”_ , she offered.

_“It’s alright, just have a seat. The least I could do is buying you breakfast.”_

There were exactly two croissants, a plate filled with bacon, hash browns and eggs, a cup of espresso, a pot of Earl Grey plus the small table between them. Yeong was suddenly so close to her after such a long time, she felt overwhelmed by his presence.

 _“Hey”_ , he smiled and stared back at her. She must be in a daze without realizing it.

 _“I can’t believe we met randomly like this in this big city”_ , she finally said.

_“I saw a bit of your talk being live streamed yesterday. You did a great job, Seo Ryeong-ssi.”_

_“I’ll do it all over again tomorrow. The jet lag is killing me. All I want is getting back home to eat mom’s stew and lots of kimchi.”_

_“How’s your mom doing these days?”_

_“Healthy and nosy. She kept secretly contacting my secretary to ask about my whereabouts and whether I have at least 5 meals a day. I don’t even remember the last time I had 2 proper meals a day.”_

_“And the busiest woman in the kingdom is having breakfast with me right now. It’s an honor. I can’t wait to see you get elected, noona.”_

_“Please, don’t jinx it. Did you see the other candidates? They’re pretty wild. How about you parents? How are they doing?”_

_“Mom is doing fine. I’m actually here with my father. There are people he wanted me to meet. I’m sorry that’s all I can share at the moment.”_

_“I understand, it must be important that Gon let you leave your duty and fly here.”_

_“Well enough about work and duty, I want to hear all about you._ ”

He wanted to know more about her days as a news anchor. She told him about preparing for her campaign, the early failures and struggles she had to face as the only female in a pool of all male candidates. Chairman Choe was mentioned a couple times but she didn't linger too much on the details. He listened to her with such kind eyes, hands touching his chin and neck absentmindedly, hair strands falling across his forehead. She was a bit distracted by the faint scent of his shaving cream when he started talking about Gon and had to snap herself out of it. He treasured his days in the military and following his best friend around the world. Obviously there was no one more important to him than His Majesty, that much she already knew.

 _“Do you know you and Gon’s fan accounts have more followers than my official one? I have to admit I’m quite furious”_ , she squinted her eyes at him teasingly.

 _“Gon did show me some of the fan arts. I still have lots of mixed feelings thinking about them”_ , he put both hands on the table and leaned closer to her with a boyish smile.

She tilted her head and looked at him like it was the very first time. Killer cheekbones, nose of a model, full lips parting slightly. She wondered how he could sleep at night knowing no one could resist his charm. _Is he seeing someone right now? Why is he still here asking about her life after she disregarded his feelings and cut ties with him years ago?_ She wanted to ask but hated to know the answers. It wasn't a good idea to let him see her blushing right now, so she pretended to look down at her watch and finished the cup of espresso. There was a lunch date with the daughter of the ambassador and a museum tour to look forward to this afternoon. She really should get back to the hotel and take a shower.

 _“When are you going to fly back home?_ ”, she asked. Admittedly all she cared about this very moment was to sit here with him for as long as she could and she wanted to laugh at the irony of her feelings.

_“I have a 10 AM flight tomorrow. We’ll be done with everything this evening. Do you have to head back now?”_

She nodded and he had the saddest smile on his face, _“Can I walk with you back to the hotel?”_

_“I think I have to take a cab, otherwise I might not make it in time for my meeting.”_

The moment they sat down together, she knew it would mess with her heart when they had to part ways. Before she left, Yeong did the last thing she wanted him to do, which was giving her a hug and lacing his fingers into her hair. He whispered words of encouragement, wishing her the best of luck on the upcoming election, but she was layers deep into the scent of his skin close to her cheek that she couldn't remember clearly anything he said. She had to pill herself off him, saying goodbye before hurriedly entering the cab. They didn't promise to see each other around, there was no way to know if there would ever be a time where they could see each other alone like they just did. She clutched her hand upon her chest to calm her heart. _Not again, Koo Seo Ryeong_. Maybe not even in this lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took me forever to finish this chapter. i want nothing more than for them to be happy but i don't know if they will ever be in my lame fic lol. your feedback always means so much to me. enjoy this chapter and stay safe wherever you are!


	5. tried so many damn times (to cut you loose)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s odd, how we end up either loving someone too much or not enough. But never just right.” - JNH

Before he was asked to open a verified account, Yeong used to be quite active on Instagram. When she was still campaigning, Seo Ryeong became a SNS influencer with a huge amount of followers. One could say that he created a fake account to keep track of what she usually had for breakfast. They stopped contacting each other for years and seeing her on the news from time to time wasn't enough, so he did something every 16 year old boy did to find out more about their crush.

Except she wasn't a crush, she was his very close friend, whom he used to lied naked next to every Sunday morning many years ago. Now she went on to reduce herself into only a tiny figure on his phone screen: Seo Ryeong having brunch at a salad bar in Insadong, swimming with her team at Hyupjae Beach in Jeju, looking smart during a student conference organized by Yonsei University, volunteering at a small town in the South and posing with a group of small kids... He was happy when there were supportive comments under her posts and he wanted to argue with the trolls who wrote nasty words or started groundless rumors. When she didn't post anything new for days, he was worried and had to deal with the fact that his questions would stay unanswered, considering their current non-existed relationship. Her phone number, still saved on his phone, probably would laugh at him if it could.

* * *

A few weeks before Seo Ryeong flew back to Corea after concluding her days in DC, she started contemplating about what gifts to get Gon and Yeong. She knew His Majesty was into vintage but still functional stuffs, so she spent a fortune and got him a limited edition Contax T2 camera. As for Yeong, it took days for her to find something that wasn't flashy and felt personal - a white gold plated wishbone necklace from a local jewelry store near her apartment. She played it cool and gave it to Yeong as a fashion item he could mix with certain outfits in his closet, but deep down she wanted it to be a meaningful token that he would keep with him for a long time.

Years later, one day in October, she came back home around 9 AM after pulling an all nighter with her team. Mom came by the night before to load the fridge with different kinds of panchan and her favorite spicy stewed fish. She turned on the TV while waiting for her food to be heated. There was a live broadcast of the annual Rowing Cup, and the commentator was talking about how unfortunate it was that Navy 88th Class couldn't compete because of His Majesty’s sudden shoulder injury. Instead Jo Yeong and his team became the stars this year, racing towards the finish line with people cheering their name by the river. The cameramen zoomed into Yeong from multiple different angles, knowing very well that they were doing every Corean woman a favor. He wore a hunter green tank top and casually flexed his strong biceps covered in sweat. Seo Ryeong was shamelessly admiring his figure in the comfort of her apartment when her heart skipped several beats at the sight of his necklace. The silver wishbone glimmered under the sun. Nobody told her to be prepared for these waves of complex emotions. She left her unwashed dishes on the countertop and collapsed into bed, slept on and off for 5 hours, dreaming about splashing water, wet dark hair and Yeong’s lips on her thigh.

* * *

During an official visit in Vietnam, Gon borrowed Yeong’s phone because he was too lazy to fetch his charger in the bedroom. It was such a rookie mistake, 10 seconds later His Majesty looked at him and raised his eyebrow.

_“Why am I not aware that you have an Instagram account? Oh seriously... you only follow Koo Seo Ryeong!?”_

_“Your Majesty I can ex...”_

_“Should I spell out my handle for you!?”_

_“...I really don’t know what else to say.”_

_“Of course you don’t. If your fanbase finds out that you’re still this loyal to your college girlfriend, they’ll go crazy and start burning your photos in union.”_

_“She was not my girlfriend.”_

_“Well hate to break it to you but last I heard she went radio silence and came back a married woman, only to divorce that poor douchebag after a year.”_

_“Now you’re being harsh.”_

_“She did a good job sending him to prison though. Anyway, I’m just stating a fact. As much as I’m wounded because you’re not a part of my 20 millions followers, I’m also very worried about this Yeong-ah. Whatever this behavior may be.”_

_“Could we please drop this topic and pretend like you didn’t just call me out on a very private part of my life?”_

_“Actually, we should drink together. We’re flying back home tomorrow anyway. Let me help you see the end of the tunnel.”_

Yeong suppressed a groan but followed the King’s order without any attempt to protest. Gon switched to serious mode and poured him a glass of red wine. He went full on _I’m-your-closest-friend-please-tell-me-everything-why-did-you-follow-her-not-me_. Yeong felt like he went back to be 14 years old and always ran to His Majesty to spill all of his secrets and sorrows. Gon had a tendency to joke around a lot but when things mattered, he turned into a philosopher and gave out very straightforward advice. 3 glasses and a couple monologues by His Majesty later, Yeong went back to his room and decided to deactivate his Instagram account. He wasn't sure if there would ever be a day when the thought of Seo Ryeong didn't rip his heart out. But for now, maybe not obsessing over her existence would be an ideal first step that he needed to take.

* * *

_“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Koo is here”_ , Secretary Mo walked in and placed some paperwork on the table.

 _“That’s pretty early”_ , Gon put down his cup of tea and checked the time, _“Our newly elected PM sure is a breath of fresh air to the palace.”_

 _“There’s a lot to catch up between us before we get down to business, don’t you think Your Majesty?”_ , Seo Ryeong came through the door and greeted him with a wide smile, showing off her flawless set of teeth. The emerald green Armani suit screamed power, she strutted in her Louboutins and felt right at home in Gon’s study. Leave it to PM Koo to make people feel uneasy in their own place.

_“Shall we start then, Prime Minister?”_

For an hour, Seo Ryeong sat across from the King and talked nothing about the matters of their beloved kingdom. Instead they reminisced about their days in school, laughed at countless silly incidents back when they were young and reckless, especially that one time Seo Ryeong let everybody in their class believe that she and Gon were a couple. She casually leaned in to whisper friendly jokes with His Majesty and Gon chuckled at every word she said.

They did all of that with Yeong’s silent presence in the room, standing close by on the left side. PM Koo could feel his eyes lingering on her face the entire time. She also knew Gon pretended to not care about where his Captain’s attention was and where it should be instead. They finished their first Friday meeting right before Gon’s next schedule. Seo Ryeong stood up from her seat, bowed to His Majesty and quickly left the room. She didn't glance at Yeong’s direction, not even once.

* * *

Myung Seung Ah saw Captian Jo existing His Majesty’s study one night and decided it was finally her moment to ask him something, anything at all, _“Hi, did you have dinner?”_

Yeong turned around and answered with no intention of carrying on with this conversation, _“I just had a quick meal with His Majesty.”_

_“Do you mind having coffee with me right now? I have some questions about the data breach that happened last week. Please, I really need some help.”_

It was getting late, he wanted nothing but to lie underneath his warm blanket. A moment later, he found himself sitting in the meeting room and politely thanking Seung Ah for making him coffee. He spent exactly 37 minutes answering her list of questions, and she spent 90% of that time staring intensely at his jawline.

_“I read somewhere that His Majesty, PM Koo and you all went to Corea National University. You guys were pretty close, right?”_

Yeong looked at her and wondered where she intended to go with this.

 _“Well the thing is, I really want to know... is it true that you and PM Koo used to date and that broke His Majesty’s heart?”_ , she continued.

 _“I guess you think we’re comfortable enough for you to say things like this and you’re even not afraid that I might report you for making these assumptions”_ , Yeong sighed.

She looked at him eyes wide and started stuttering, _“No no... no... I’m sorry Captain Jo it’s just my stupid curiosity...”_

_“We were good friends. You can tell that to whoever fed you these rumors.”_

_“But... do you think of PM Koo more than just a friend?”_

Yeong was now startled at how this girl could still keep on asking him things like this, _“You know what, good thing that PM Koo was too busy making our kingdom a better place to care about my feeling for her or your desire to know more about our past. Maybe it’s time for us to get some sleep.”_

 _“Did you just say your feeling...”_ , before she could finish her question, Captain Jo swiftly stood up and headed towards the door.

 _Does he think of PM Koo more than just a friend?_ If Myung Seung Ah had the guts to ask PM Koo whether she thought of him as something more than just an old friend, he would very much like to know the answer.

* * *

Seo Ryeong cursed whatever deity there was above for ruining her dinner with news of the Japanese Navy entering Kingdom of Corea’s territorial waters. She spent the next 12 hours coming up with a perfect strategy and relentlessly ignoring the commanders’ objection. Then Gon dropped the bomb on their phone call saying he would board the Yi Sun Sin Destroyer. What a battle His Majesty gave to Japan that day. The continuous military tension finally started to get on her nerves. At least her approval rating looked good, she only wished this turmoil didn't drain so much of her energy.

After the press conference, Secretary Kim walked besides her and suggested she should get some rest instead of going back to the office. Seo Ryeong turned to look at him and said she was fine. The last thing she heard was someone asking if she was alright because her face looked pale. She touched her neck and didn't realize there was that much sweat underneath her blouse. All of the sudden she felt strangely dizzy and dropped to the ground before reaching her car. Luckily there was no one around the VIP exit but her team, otherwise it would make some very unnecessary headlines that she didn't have the time to deal with at the moment.

She was completely knocked out for almost a day and woke up in her bed with a horrible headache. Her mom came in the room with a cup of ginger tea and checked on her fever. She groaned and hated herself for being such a burden, especially at her age.

Mom looked tired and gently adjusted her blanket, _“Yeong came here last night.”_

 _“What?”_ , it was as if someone just shot a bullet through Seo Ryeong’s chest.

_“Somehow he heard about you collapsing after the press conference and called me. His Majesty even sent a doctor and let Yeong stay here with you all night.”_

_“Why did he even do that?”_

_“He might call you some time today, I gave him your secure phone number. I don’t know what happened between you two, but he’s always been kind to me. At least thank him and His Majesty for caring so much about your wellbeing.”_

_“Mom, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Please leave. I need to get back to sleep.”_

It was cruel to think that she could process this information when her entire body felt fatigued, like it belonged to someone else. A few hours later, her phone rang with an unknown number on the screen. She bit her thumb nervously before accepting the call.

 _“Yes?”_ , she tried her best to sound like she didn't twist and turn on her bed waiting for him to press her number.

 _“Noona, it’s me”_ , his voice was soft and so close it sent shivers straight to her core.

_“Yes, I know.”_

_“How are you feeling? Did the fever go down?”_

_“Thanks to His Majesty’s kindness I’m feeling much better. Please tell him how grateful I am and let him know I’ll get back to work in a couple days.”_

_“I’m sure he wants you to rest for at least a week.”_

_“I’m sure that’s not something for him to decide.”_

_“Our kingdom is safe and sound, thanks to you. You deserve a break.”_

_“That’s lovely to hear coming from you, Captain Jo.”_

_“PM Koo, for the sakes of both of us and our entire kingdom, please take care of yourself.”_

_“Why does it have anything to do with you?”_

_“Well I voted for you, my future is basically in His Majesty’s and your hands.”_

_“So you voted for me, that’s literally music to my ears.”_

_“Of course I did. I told you I couldn’t wait to see you get elected",_ how he sounded unaffected by her sarcastic tone was beyond her. 

_“Where is His Majesty right now? Why is he letting you talk on the phone like this?”_

_“He’s having a video call with Major Choe in the conference room.”_

_“You should go. I’m doing fine.”_

_“Noona…”_

_“And thanks for coming by yesterday. You really didn’t have to do that.”_

_“I wanted to. I’m glad I was able to reach your mom. I didn’t know where they took you and was half way trying to call your security team.”_

Seo Ryeong felt a lump building up in her throat and had to bury herself underneath the blanket to hide the tear running down her face. She hated him for saying words she didn't deserve to hear and making her crave for things she knew were impossible. Now was the moment to hang up but she didn't know how. She stayed quiet instead, breathing weakly into the phone while her heart was trying its best not to burst.

_“Noona, can I come to you tomorrow?”_

_“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”_

_“Let me be the judge of that. But only if you want me to.”_

_“Can’t it be tonight?”_

He let out a sigh, was it relief? She hoped it was, _“I’ll see you tonight.”_

Later that evening, Yeong came to her place with bags filled with snacks he knew she loved to eat when she felt sick. Still the only person who managed to be there when she was at her worst, after all these years. She let him caress the side of her face, comb his fingers through her hair, and when he put his lips on her forehead, it was all shy and innocent.

_“I guess I have to keep you here, Captain Jo Yeong.”_

_“And I’m glad you said that, PM Koo Seo Ryeong.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is my version of speed writing. i tried to write one paragraph a day for them this past week. only 1 episode left and i want to finish this fic before then. i never thought i could be this invested in a Kdrama couple that's not even canon. all thanks to the beauty and talent of JEC and WDH. they deserve so much more and KES should be jailed for the way she treated their characters. it was a fun ride nonetheless. many thanks to everyone who still follow this fic up til now. i'd love to read more of your comments. and to Seo Ryeong, i hope one day Yeong will take you back to London and kiss you under a magnolia tree in Regent's Park x


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